When I am not running our marketing agency, training or speaking, I am teaching.  I love teaching.  When I get essays like the one I received from Aaron Lamar, my former web marketing student (and my life-long cyber ally) I dance at my desk (seriously, I do!)  Aaron gave me permission (thank you!) to share his tips on how to blog effectively. It’s inspiring and a healthy dose of marketing therapy.  ENJOY!

New Web Marketing Rules – How to Blog Effectively
Guest Blogger: Aaron Lamar

Getting started
*If you are going to start your own blog, but not sure what you want to blog about, FIRST create a list of things you like or are good at and are knowledgeable about.  Everyone is good at something and it has never been so easy to access knowledge online. (this is partly due to the extensive forums and blogs!)

*Don’t get discouraged if you don’t think you have anything to write about because you do! You have a movie of your life playing in your head that only you are the director of. Use personal experience to benefit your blog.

Choose a blogging platform that you like and can understand. My favorite and is the most widely used is WordPress. It is free to use and can make your blogging as easy as it should be.

Getting Inspired
*Action, Action, Action!! Don’t sit and wait around for the “someday I’ll have something to write about or maybe something interesting will happen to me so today I can write about it.” Act on life!  Be pre-emptive and have an open mind to experience your own life.

*Play the game instead of watching it.  Sitting in the stands can be fun for fans, but they really want to be playing the game. The best way to get inspired is to play the game and see results. Once you see results, you’ll have something to build on.

*Be unreasonable.  If a friend invites you out and you automatically say no, rethink why you are saying no and evaluate your options.  Most of the time we are too comfortable being comfortable.

*Get Creative
The best way to get creative is to completely detach from what you perceive is the way you should act or be (or in this case write).  Write what you feel is interesting, then position your blog into that niche.

*Shift out of the normal way you do things and you’ll see that being original or creative isn’t hard, it just takes some guts.  Don’t confuse the two.. it isn’t hard to have guts it just takes being in the moment.

*Have fun and don’t be afraid to be goofy or make fun of yourself, cause that is what it is all about anyway.

Choosing a Blog Platform
Choose a blog platform that resonates with you and you feel comfortable with..research your options and ask questions beforehand.

*Some questions you may want to ask before choosing:
-What are your Goals?
-What is your Budget?
-Are you technologically able?
-What are other bloggers using?
-Are you going to host it yourself, or have it hosted for you?

*As I look at some of the most successful blogs, I see that they use a variety of platforms…that’s the great thing about blogging, success is not reliant upon the tool you use, it’s about how you use it!

Keep on a Schedule
*Create a schedule and stick to it. If you feel like you don’t want to blog every day, then set up guest bloggers just to keep new and fresh articles coming weekly if not daily.

*If you have set up a schedule and your readers are used to it, then you will disappoint them by not giving them what they are use too.  Disappointed readers = Unhappy blogger.

Keep on keeping on, it will be worth it in the long run
*Most unsuccessful blogs are due to non updated material and no new articles. They simply stop writing new and interesting material and people lose interest.

Target your market
*Check statistics and find your niche (most platforms come with statistics to help you access what market to target.)

*If you need additional stats then Google Analytics is your answer. Google Analytics is  a web analytics solution that gives you data into your website traffic and marketing effectiveness. Powerful, extensive, flexible and easy-to-use features let you see and analyze your traffic data.  With Google Analytics, you’re more prepared to write better-targeted ads, strengthen your marketing initiatives and create higher converting websites while targeting the right markets.

*Just don’t get statistic crazy and be offended if no one visits your blog every day. These things take time and can’t be built over night.

Make Friends
*Find blogs that also share the same ideas and then collaborate with them.

*Comment on their blogs regularly with your own voice and opinion.

*Become an Authority of your content and share your knowledge to everyone else.

Be a lover not a hater.
* Embrace the New Web Marketing Rules – Blog Effectively

TANOSHIMU
(enjoy oneself)

About the Author:
Aaron Lamar is a student at Santa Barbara City College, a dedicated traveler, blogger, computer science major and all around cool guy.  You can learn more about him online at http://dedicatedtraveler.com/

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